Chakwera urges youth to embrace skills development for economic transformation

By Chisomo Phiri

President Dr.Lazarus Chakwera has urged the youth in the country to embrace hard work and skills development as the engine of national economic transformation.

Addressing the official opening of the 2025 TEVETA Conference in Lilongwe on Thursday, Chakwera emphasized that robust vocational skills development is crucial for generating income-producing opportunities, fostering self-reliance among young people, and equipping them with valuable technical skills. 

He stressed that empowering youth through skills development would be a cornerstone of job creation and economic growth for the nation.

The president lauded TEVETA Malawi for its vital role in equipping young people with the skills to drive sustainable personal and national change.

On his part,Minister of Labour Peter Dimba praised President Chakwera’s commitment to elevating technical and vocational education standards, citing the construction of new infrastructure at numerous technical colleges across the country. 

He noted that this investment has led to a significant increase in student enrollment, from 2,500 to 7,000.

In his remarks,TEVETA Board Chairperson Pyoka Tembo underscored the critical role of technical and vocational skills development in achieving the goals of Malawi’s Vision 2063. 

He highlighted that the conference would serve as a valuable platform for delegates to exchange best practices, showcasing successful TEVETA initiatives from Malawi and beyond to inspire innovation and improvement.

Tembo further explained that the conference would also strengthen stakeholder collaboration in skills development and productivity enhancement. 

He said:”This would involve fostering partnerships to improve knowledge sharing, resource mobilization, infrastructure development, curriculum enhancement, and the overall delivery of TEVETA training.”

The conference has been organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, technical colleges, the National Planning Commission (NPC), the Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAMA), the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI), and other stakeholders.

The two-day event is being held under the theme “Enhancing Skills Development for Economic Transformation Towards Malawi 2063.”